Library Journal

An only child with physical limitations, Henry Tradescome has always disliked his family summer home in Wellfleet, MA. But Henry's wife, Charlotte, is thrilled to raise their four-year-old daughter in the house he's just inherited. Founder/editor of an alternative New York newspaper, Henry is 20 years Charlotte's senior. She's never felt she was Henry's intellectual equal, but now, at 42, Charlotte accepts that it's long past time she stopped caring. The Tradescomes move to the Cape, where Charlotte runs afoul of the longtime residents, including the farmers who work the oyster claims along the beach. A "washashore," Charlotte is only slightly less despised than the tourists. Still, she discovers an inner strength and confidence, especially in the company of Darryl Stead, whose claim is behind her house. When Charlotte sells off part of the land to ensure her family's future, the repercussions serve only to illuminate her na?vet?. VERDICT Schmidt (The Bride of Catastrophe) conveys the unassailable bond of tradition in a tightly knit community along with the ins and outs of oyster culture. Her writing is nuanced and oh so clever as it relays her characters' persistence in the face of life's obstacles. Superior literary fiction. [Reading group guide.]?Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal